People feeding ducks bread?

[dannyboyle]

Ok first aibu?

Daughters and I often go to the local park to playground, but also feed the ducks at the lake. There are always people feeding ducks bread and not just small pieces, but throwing wholes slices.

Now I would hope most people know that bread is not good food for ducks and that they really should not be giving them it. There are plenty of things they can have and I go out of my way to get proper wild bird feed as suggested by local authority.

So to the aibu. In the last couple of weeks I have tried to kindly point out to people that what they are doing is not helpful and not teaching their children anything helpful ( 1 said thank you, the other two told me to mind my own ...... business!) Should I let people be (potentially in ignorance and damaging health of birds) or do I say something????

Yabu, do you think people walk around carrying wild bird feed?

Great way to ruin others peo family outings.

Have no idea where the random peo came from.

YABU. Surely there are better things to worry about.
First world problems & all that

I also think you have been lucky that the strongest response you have had is 'mind your own business' you could be heading for a real earful or a smack in the mouth!

Oops, I do this with DS sometimes. I didn't give much thought to it but thinking about it you're right.

Can they eat any old bird food?

Why would the size of slice make a difference? Don't they dip it in the water and waggle it about to break off bits anyway?

With regard to whether you should say something that entirely depends on how keenly you feel about the issue. So I suppose if you are all about the ducks then YANBU.

I didnt know they couldn't eat bread. Iv always fed that to them. The ones in my local farm have never said anything either about feeding theirs bread, or carrot.

If someone came up.to.me in the park to point out the error of my ways I'd be pissed off tbh

Surely noone is going to actually punch OP for suggesting that sliced white might not be best for wildfowl?

People, who notoriously feed their own children Happy Meals and fruit shoots, are not going to be very proactive about duck nutrition.

I am sure bread isn't good for ducks, but I doubt if it is as harmful as other duck problems.

YANBU. Used to see this in London a lot. Huge slices of bread encourage rats - also bound to ruin other peoples family outings. You are very brave to talk to people about it. I can't imagine you'll get a great reception.

Is there a café in park - maybe they could sell little bags of bird food for say 10p? Or maybe you could do some little bags yourself and donate proceeds to RSPB. Is there a park warden/ officer? Maybe they could help your say no to bread campaign

We have signs up in the park telling people not to feed bread to ducks.

It's not good fir them

It encourages rats

The rats eat duck eggs

Surely ponds would be full of dead ducks if bread was that bad for them. You do know people will tell their friends about the nutter they met in the park.

"Ruining family outings" by looking after the welfare of animals.

Well done OP for doing what I am not brave enough. Brain dead parents allowing their toddlers to throw whole slices of bread at the ducks. Cute for the parent....but only for them. If their kid likes to feed the ducks buy bird seed.

A quick google brings up lists of stuff to feed them. All say bread is bad, peas, oats loads of stuff is good. I get that a lot of people are saying i am being unreasonable, but I am thinking of the ducks, not other children!

Its true there are other things to worry about but if we all take that view then no one would do anything about anything

I used to work with someone who was feeding bread to the ducks with his son in the park and someone told him off for these reasons.

He turned round and said to her "I'm not feeding the ducks, I'm feeding the fish but the fucking ducks keep nickin' it"

Made me giggle.

Yes contact the organisation that oversees the lake, ask if a board or notice is a possibility

Yabu to approach folk though

Our council have asked people to stop feeding bread to the swans as the swans were dying due to too much bread.

There are signs up in out local park about this as well

I'm surprised so many on this thread are so unaware

And a punch or smack in the mouth for pointing out that you are harming another animal.... What lovely prople several of you are!

Erm they probably would around these parts!

Maybe you could play on the rat card in your bird food evangelising. E.G spread an urban myth about rats attacking toddlers toting large cottage loaves ..... or maybe not

It's not good to feed ducks bread, you are totally correct. However I don't think you'll get anywhere telling people in that way. If I saw you doing it I would think you were out of order regardless of being right.

Would you be better off trying to get signs put up in the park? Is there a cafe there? Could you approach them about selling little packs of food that is appropriate for ducks? It might encourage people into the cafe too!